Building a new community

To create a thriving, safe, resilient and connected community that is well-served by amenities, Tauranga City Council has developed some proposals and ideas for the new community – where houses, open spaces, schools and other facilities could be located, as well as ways to protect the natural and cultural environment.

We’re proposing:

• A range of housing choice, styles and densities
• A relocated and expanded school supporting current and future communities’ needs. Potential for a new high school
• Integrated neighbourhood parks and sports fields
• A local centre – providing for a collection of several shops and services including opportunities for a small (convenience) supermarket, GP surgery, pharmacy, café, takeaway, service station and possibly public toilets
• A Wairoa River Reserve – with a playground, access to the river, walkways along the length of the full river corridor and water access; and which celebrates the historic and cultural importance of the awa (river)
• To recognise sites of cultural significance to mana whenua and preserve and enhance those areas
• To protect our waterways and wetlands
• Connectivity through street design and open space planning
• A road network that promotes sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport over private car use.

The vision document shows what Tauriko West could look like, integrating what we’re proposing for the new community.

Tauriko West vision document (8.6mb pdf)

Draft Land use plan for Tauriko west

Tauranga City Council has developed a draft land use plan for Tauriko West which shows where the key elements of the new community could be located.

The draft land use plan shows the extent of land that may be developed for residential use, along with:

• Riverside reserve, escarpment areas, and open space
• Connections to the short and long-term transport improvements
• Multimodal links to Tauriko Business Estate and the wider city
• Opportunities to connect walkways/cycleways along the Wairoa River.

Densities in these new communities are expected to be at least 25 dwellings per hectare in the first 10 years and will reach higher densities over time.

THe wairoa River

The Wairoa River is a special natural and cultural landmark of the area.

We’re proposing to embrace the significance of the river and provide access for everyone to enjoy this special environment.

Through the development of Tauriko West, we propose to:

• Maintain and enhance the landscape of the river margin
• Celebrate the historic and cultural importance of the awa
• Recognise sites of cultural significance to mana whenua and preserve and enhance those areas
• Provide for open and generous public access to and along the river frontage through to Bethlehem
• Enhance connectivity to the river by providing east-west active street links to the river throughout the development
• Enable the integration of new urban development set back from the river margin
• Manage stormwater runoff from urban development.

The Planning Process

Building the new community at Tauriko West requires changes to the Tauranga City Plan. This is a statutory process under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

Currently, the land within Tauriko West is zoned rural. We need to change the City Plan to rezone the land to allow housing to be developed. The plan change also outlines the planning rules that will apply to the development and guide consent decisions.

Tauranga City Council is progressing the Tauriko West plan change through a variation to Plan Change 33 – Enabling Housing Supply. A public submission  process ran in March/April 2024.  Find out more about the proposed variation

Final decision making will involve independent hearings with commissioners and Council, and if necessary, the Minister for the Environment – instead of appeals to the Environment Court. 

Subject to completing the planning process, it is expected that the first houses will start being built from around 2027.

Preliminary Processes

To prepare for the rezoning of Tauriko West, the change to the urban limits line (Bay of Plenty Regional Council) and local government boundary alteration (Western Bay of Plenty District Council) have been completed.

Change 4 (Tauriko West Urban Limit) to the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement (RPS) was incorporated into the RPS and operative from 30 October 2018.  It amended the current Urban Limit and indicative timing of growth to provide for the development of Tauriko West.

Find out more about the Regional Policy Statement.

The local government boundary alteration took effect on 1 January 2021, and shifted all of the land at Tauriko West into Tauranga City Council’s jurisdiction.

Find out more about the Local Government Commission’s process.

Find out more on the role of Western Bay of Plenty District Council in making the original application.

Sign up for our email updates

Throughout the process we will be going out to the community and stakeholders to provide information and gather ideas and feedback. This will include open days and workshops, surveys and regular updates via mail, email and on this website.